1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing structure between a supporter and a supported member, and more particularly to a fitting structure between a case main body and a lid, for instance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two examples of fitting structures between a case main body and a lid for a conventional storage container, which can store essential parts of an electronic apparatus or the like, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4A to 5E. Other parts than fitting portions in the conventional storage container as shown in FIGS. 4A to 5E are roughly the same as those shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B which will be used for explaining an embodiment of the invention.
Referring firstly to FIGS. 4A to 4E, a first conventional example will be described below. FIGS. 4A to 4E are views showing fitting portions for a case main body and a lid in the first conventional example. FIG. 4A is a front view of a fitting portion in the case main body, FIG. 4B is a front view of a fitting portion in the lid, FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F—F, FIG. 4D is a front view of the case main body and the lid in a fitted state, and FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G—G.
A storage container for storing the essential parts of an electronic apparatus in the first conventional example comprises the case main body 60 and the lid 70.
The case main body 60 is a box-type case with rectangular bottom, and formed with a square engagement bore 61 near an opening portion in the almost central part of four opposed sides of the rectangle. A position regulating bore 62 notched from an end face of the opening portion is formed near the engagement bore 61. The case main body 60 is made of resin and formed by injection molding.
The lid 70 is fitted with the case main body 60, and is formed like a plate of almost square shape engaging an inner bore of the opening portion in the case main body 60. On four faces of the lid 70 along an outer peripheral direction, there are formed an engagement convex portion 71 for engaging with the engagement bore 61 in the case main body 60 and a position regulating convex portion 72 for engaging with the position regulating bore 62. The engagement convex portion 71 and the position regulating convex portion 72 project from the outer periphery of the lid 70. The engagement convex portion 71 is formed with an engagement face 73 for engaging the engagement bore 61 and an insertion guide portion 74 (triangular cubic shape) that inclines from almost central part of a top face of the engagement convex portion 71 to the outer peripheral direction or downward as shown in the figure. The lid 70 is made of resin and formed by injection molding.
A fitting method for the case main body and the lid will be described below.
When the lid 70 is fitted and inserted into the opening portion of the case main body 60, the insertion guide portion 74 of the engagement convex portion 71 forces the opening portion of the case main body 60 to be expanded from inner to outer direction. And when the engagement face 73 of the engagement convex portion 71 reaches an engagement side 63 of the engagement bore 61, the expanded opening portion of the case main body 60 is restored to its original state. And the engagement face 73 of the engagement convex portion 71 and the engagement side 63 of the engagement bore 61 engage. At the same time, a bottom portion 75 of the position regulating convex portion 72 for the lid 70 makes contact with a bottom portion 64 of the position regulating bore 62 of the case main body 60 to regulate the position in an inserting direction. Accordingly, the case main body 60 and the lid 70 are regulated in position in both the inserting and drawing directions and held in the fitted state.
Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5E, a second conventional example will be described below. FIGS. 5A to 5E are views showing fitting portions for the case main body and the lid in the second conventional example. FIG. 5A is a front view of a fitting portion in the case main body, FIG. 5B is a front view of a fitting portion in the lid, FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H—H, FIG. 5D is a front view of the case main body and the lid in a fitted state, and FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional view taken along the line J—J. The second conventional example is almost the same as the first conventional example, except for the position regulating method for the case main body and the lid. Different parts from the first conventional example are mainly described and other parts are simplified or not described.
A storage container for storing the essential parts of an electronic apparatus in the second conventional example comprises the case main body 80 and the lid 90.
The case main body 80 is formed with a position regulating portion 83 like a rib extending from a bottom portion to the opening portion along the inner periphery of the case main body 80 to implement the position regulating method for the case main body 80 and the lid 90 in the inserting direction. An end face of the position regulating portion 83 in opening direction serves as a position regulating face 84 for the lid 90. The position regulating portion 83 is provided on the four corner portions of the case main body 80, for example. The case main body 80 is almost the same as in the first conventional example, except for the position regulating method.
The lid 70 has a position regulating method for the lid 90 and the case main body 80 in the inserting direction by bringing a lower face 93 of the lid 90 in inserting direction into contact with a position regulating face 84 of a position regulating portion 83 of the case main body 80. The lid 90 is almost the same as the lid 70 in the first conventional example, except that there is not the position regulating convex portion 72 of the lid 70 in the first conventional example.
A fitting method for the case main body and the lid will be described below.
When the lid 90 is fitted and inserted into the opening portion of the case main body 80, an insertion guide portion 94 of an engagement convex portion 91 forces an opening portion of the case main body 80 to be expanded from inner to outer direction. And when an engagement face 95 of the engagement convex portion 91 reaches an engagement side 82 of an engagement bore 81, the expanded opening portion of the case main body 80 is restored to its original state. And the engagement face 95 of the engagement convex portion 91 and the engagement side 82 of the engagement bore 81 engage. At the same time, a lower face 93 of the lid 90 in an inserting direction makes contact with a position regulating face 84 of the position regulating portion 83 of the case main body 80 to regulate the position in the inserting direction. Accordingly, the case main body 80 and the lid 90 are regulated in both the inserting and drawing directions and held in the fitted state.
However, in the fitting structure for the case main body 60 and the lid 70 in the first conventional example, the engagement face 73 of the engagement convex portion 71 of the lid 70 is engaged with the engagement side 63 of the engagement bore 61 of the case main body 60 against a drawing force, and against an inserting force, the lid 70 is provided with the position regulating convex portion 72 at a position apart from the engagement convex portion 71, and the case main body 60 is provided with the position regulating bore 62 at a position corresponding to the position regulating convex portion 72, whereby the bottom portion 75 of the position regulating convex portion 72 is brought into contact with the bottom portion 64 of the position regulating bore 62. Accordingly, since the position is regulated in both the inserting and drawing directions, the fitting portions become loose if there is dispersion in the size of associated portions. Thus, if the size of associated portions is managed strictly to remove looseness, there is a fear that the cost for the case main body 60 and the lid 70 increases.
Also, in the fitting structure for the case main body 80 and the lid 90 in the second conventional example, the position of the lid 90 is regulated in the inserting direction by bringing the lower face 93 of the lid 90 in the inserting direction into contact with the position regulating face 84 of the position regulating portion 83 in the case main body 80. However, with this method, because the position regulating portion 83 is provided inside the case main body 80, the internal volume of the case main body 80 is reduced by the volume of the position regulating portion 84. Accordingly, the total size of the case main body is increased by the volume of the position regulating portion 84 to obtain a desired internal volume, making it difficult to miniaturize the case main body. In addition, the position of the lid is regulated in both the inserting and drawing directions as in the first conventional example, whereby if there is dispersion in the size of associated portions, the fitting portions become loose. Thus, if the size of associated portions is managed strictly to remove looseness, there is a fear that the cost for the case main body 80 and the lid 90 increases.